Toy traut track



J. L.. cowl-:N f f v Re. 16,580

March 29. 1927. f

TOY TRAIN TRACK Filel March 21. 192:5

l, "wi r j "i /f/ :"=LM

aumento@ Jos/10a Lau/efz MC2" @Awww roads, an electrica Reissues Maf 29, 1927.`

UNITED sTATEs Ifluirlziar OFFICE.

Joanna L. cownN, or mw Yoan, n. Y., assmnon 'ro man nIoNnL concurren, .a

couronnes or Naw Yoax.

'roy raam Tanon.

origini no. 1,5s4,s os, ama april. 21, 1925, serial. no. casses, med man reissue med January 27, 1827. Ser-lil lo. 184,106.

ltrack or ontoY a branch line track, at will. Such switches are, for convenience, made up in the form of a section of track interchangeable lwith other sections of track. The wheel bearing rails in such a switch section include a straight uninterrupted length of track rail at one side for the main line track, a curved uninterrupted length of l track rail at the other side for the branch line track, '.short converging lengthsl of track arranged -in the form cfa V par-y hs and connectedallel withv the longer len to the correspondlng trac rails in adjacent sections of main line track vand branch line track, respectivel and also an'arrangement of converging rails by which the car trucks may beguided at will to the main line track or the branch line track. /Where these switch sections are employed in electric toy railly continuous insulated third rail is arranged intermediate the wheel bearing rails so that the contact shoe in the traln may engage it. This power supply rail includes an ordinary narrow third rail between the pairs of track rails above referred to, al' wide portionbetween the guidl' ing rails, and Y-shaped depressed portion arranged underneath the wheel bearing rails for interconnecting the wide portion and the narrow portions, and carrymg the current through the switch section out of contact with the grounded Vtrack rails. The depressed portion was made as short as possiblel to eliminatethe ossibility of thelocomotive stoppin 'witlii its contact shoes out 'of contact wit the ower rail, which results in bring-` ing' the ivef rail close to the converging guiding rails. This close spacingof these parte frequently resulted -in the contact shoe ridging the p between the insulatedparts and ground arts.y f The principa object of the present invention is to insulate the portions of the guiding rails ofthe switch Vwhich are adjacent the insulated power railso that these poreontact with the contact shoe.

Ytions cannot become grounded'by accidental switch tongues and the third rail.

Anotherobject of the invention isito rovide, in a'devi'ce of the character descri d,

lmeans. for inzulating the switch' tongues so as to prevent short circuiting between the Another object of the invention is to rovide a device of the character described anlass. Application for whichA shall be simple in construction and efficient in operationto a high degree.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and lin part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly 'consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the following claims. f i

Inthe accom anying drawing, in which is shown one ci) the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention;

Figure 1 is a plan view of ka toy railroad track embodyin my invention;

Figure 1 is a detailed view of the hand operated switchyfor` moving the switch tongues and simultaneously setting the block signal;

Figure 2 is a sectional view cut along line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the switch tongues; f

Figure 4 is a sectional view cut along line H of Figurel 3; .and

the insulators.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 indicates the main railroad track of a toy electrical railroadand 15 a branch line thereof. The track 10 comprises the rails 11, 11 extending over crossfties- 12 and an intermediate third rail 13 insulated as at 14 from the said ties. Preferably the rails and cross# ties are made in one piece from sheet metal, the cross tiesbeing in the form of bases or standards depending downwardly from the rails and serving as supports whereby the railroad rests on the iloor of the room.

Figure 5 is afperspective view of one of.

The branch line 15v comprises similar rails 16` 16 extending across similarly constructed cross-ties 17 and an intermediate track rail 18 insulated from the cross ties as at 19.

Where the branch line 15 connects with the main track 10, tlie respectivethird rails 18, 18ers connected yby a fcrkA member 20 from which extends a widened portion 20* so that the train contact shoe (not shown) may stay in contact with the third railv from the main track to the branch track and vice versa in the manner` hereinafter described. The switch tongues 21, 22 are preferably integrally formed from sheet metal and comprise hollow rail sections ofy similar construction to the rails 11. 11 and 16, 16 struck up so as to up:tand from the base 23. The swltch tongue members converge towards each other at the portions` adjacent the cross over in the usual manner.

The fork 20 is disposed between the two cross-ties 12", 12,.-adjacent thetrack junction, and is depressed below the said tongues. For joining the fork 2O to the widened portion 20, the material of the former is struck up adjacent the portion 2Oll und extends upwardly through the o ening 23c provided in thek tongue base 23. pivot pin 24 extends through the base'23 and the, cross tie 12, and another ivot pin or screw 25 extends through the ase portion 23 into a slot 26 formed in the switch lever 27, eccentrically mounted on the bottom of the platform or support 26 extending from the tracks, a curved slot 30 being provided yin the platform wherein rides the pin 31 extending from the remote endfof the switch lever. Mounted on the to of the platform 26 is a hand lever 32 to w ich the switchl arm 27 is eccentricall linked by means of said pin 31.

The hand ever 32 yis further centrally pivoted to a vertical shaft 33 extending into the block signal tower 34 and carrying at its up r -end the block signal 35, so that' and lever 32 is actuated the switchv when lever 27 is' actuated so as to move the switch tongues in one direction or the other about the pivot 24, and at the same time the shaft 33 is rotated so as to set the block signal. In this way, simultaneously with the switching of the train from one track to the other, the block signal is 'correspondingly set.

From the position of the switching tongues shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, it is clear that as the train contact shoe` (not shown) leaves the third rail 13 at the end 13 adjacent the tongue 20, the said contact shoe may accidentally swing into the space 13b between the switchA ton ue 21 and the end 13 of the third rail, t us causing a short circuit. Aysimilar condition may arise between the tongue 22 and the third rail 18, and between either or both the tongues 22, 21 and the widened portions 20". To prevent such short circuits, II provide the' switch tongues 22, 21 along a substantial portion thereof with the insulators 36, 36', comprising stri s Aot `insulating material such as hard ru )ber that extend along the side of each rail section of the switch tongues which faces or is adjacent to a third rail. These strips are rigidly securedpby any suitable means to said'rail sections. In the form Ashown 1n the drawnlg, the respective sides 21, 22 of the switch tongues are cutaway as at 21", 22", and the insulating strips ex-v Vwhen the contact shoe accidentally or other# wise is moved out of its vertically suspended position.

When a train passing through the switch 'is routed to or from the branch line (the parts being as shown in full lines in the tend across said cutaway portions and into drawing), the contact shoes wipe along the third rail 18-20-18. They strike the top` of the insulators 36 of the wheel bearing rail in the switch tongue but do not ground Y the third rail. When the switch is in the other position the contact shoes pass over insulator 36' without grounding. In either case it is apparent that the portions of the wheel bearing rails, over which the con? tact shoes pass, are insulated.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above setforth, it is to bev understood that all matter herein s et forth or shown in the accom anyin terpreted as i lustratlve and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In atoy electric railroad having a main track including a third rail and a branch track including al third rail, switch tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to saidy switch tongues on the sides drawings is to be in'- track secured u said switch amv i of said tracks, said switch means com rising movable railsections, the rails of w ich are composed in part 'of insulating materialg 3. In a toy electric railroad having a main track and a branch track, switch means for the toy train from one to the other-I guidi Y of sail? tracks,-said switch means comprising movable rail sections having insulators thereon for the .pur ose described said rail sectis comprising ollow upstandin members conforming to the main and liranch rails, and said insulators comprising strips of insulator members extending into said hollow krail sections.

4. In a to electric railroad having a main track inclu ingl a third rail and a branch includin a third rail, switch ton es for gui ing the toy train from one to t e other of said tracks, and insulators secured tosaid switch ton es A,on the sides thereof adjacent lsaid t ird rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and havin and said insulators com rising strips of in- I sulating material exten ing across the cutaway portions of said rail sections.

- 5. In a to electric railroad having a main miek inclu ing e third nu and a branch track includ' t to e other of said tracks, and insulators secured to said switch tongues on the sides a 1 third railg switch thereof adjacent said third rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow(- rail sections movable relatively to said main and branch tracks and havin 'the sides thereof adjacent said third rai cut away,

and said insulators com rising strips of insulating material exten ing across the cutawa portions of said rail sections, and dex# ten ing into said rail sections.

6. In a to electric railroad having a main track incl ing a third rail and a branch track includin a third rail, switch 'to es for gui in v the toy train from one tonil g e other of said tracks, and insulators es on the sides thereof adjacent said t ird rails, said vswitch tongues com rising a pair of hollow rail sections movab e relatively to said main and branch tracks and havin the sides thereof adjacent said third rai cut away,

vand said insulators com risingstrips of intongues for gui the toyVA train from one the sides thereof adjacent said third rai s cut away,

for gui ing the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, and insulators secured to 'said switch ton uesron the sides thereof adjacent said t ird rails, said switch tongues comprising a pair of hollow rail sections movable relatively to said main 'and branch tracks and having the sides thereof adjacent said third rails cut away,l andj said insulators comprising strips kofinsulatin material bridging the cut-away por.- tions o said rail sections, and havin extensions adapted to enter into said hol ow rail sections. Y v

l,8. Ina toy electric railroad haviiig track and a vbranch track, har rubber switching tongues for guiding the toy train from one to the other of said tracks, a block.

tions of said power suppl rail being depressed belowv portions of. t e wheel bearing rails above Ywhich the contact 4shoe passes,

said portionsof the wheel bearing rails be.

ing insulated to tact shoe. Y, y

10. A track'switch for toy electric railroads comprising fixed and movable wheel prevent grounding the conbearing rails for controllin the movement of a toy train either throug a main line or onto a branch line, an electricall continuous power supply rail extending t rough both the mainline and the branch line and cooperative with a contact shoe on the moving train, the portion of the wheelbearing rai :for carrying the trainthrou h the main line being between portions of e ythird rail for ener 'zi the train while passing through the ranc line and insulated from other portions ofthe wheel bearing rails.

11. A track switch for toy electric railroads com rising fixed and movable wheel.

bearing rails for controlling the vmovement of a toy `train either throu h a main line or ontov a branch line, an eectrically con tinuous power supply rail extending through both the main line and the branch line and cooperative with a'v contact shoe on the moving train, the portion. of the wheel bearing rail' for carrying. the train through the branch line' being between rtions of the' thirdv rail for energizing e train while Roaming through the main line, and insulated a main y ,e with a contact shoe on the moving train, poriis ico!

in other portions of the wheel bearing t rails. p

12. A track switch for toy electric railroads` comprising fixed and movable wheel bearingrrails for controllin the movement kof a toy train either throug a main line or onto a branch line, an electrically continuous power supply rail extendin through both the main l1ne and the brano line and cooperative with a `contact shoe on the moving train, the portion of the wheel bearing rail for carrying thetrain through the main line being between the portions of the third rail for energizing the train while passing through the branch line and insulated from other portions of the wheel bearing rails, the

ortion of the wheel bearing rail for carrylng the trainthrough the branch line being between portions of the third rail for energizing the train while passing through the main line and insulated from other portions of the wheel bearing rails.

13. In a track switch for toy electric railroads, two converging wheel bearing rails over which the wheels of a toy car are di' rected in routing the Vcar to the main line or branch line, an insulated power suplying rail having a portion between the conver ing rails and two diverging portions voutsi e the converging wheel bearing rails, the adjacent ends of said wheel bearing rails bein insulated from the remainder of the whee bearing` rails.

14. In a track switch fortoy electric railroadscooperative fixed and movable wheel y bearing railsl for routing a train through a main line or onnto a branch line, and an electricallcontinuous power supply rail for both t e main line and the branch line, and insulated lengths of wheel bearing rail in each line over which the contact shoe of the vtrain 'passes when traversing the other line without groundingthe contact shoe.

16. In a track switch for toy electric railroads, cooperative fixed and movable wheel bearing rails` for routing a train throu h a main line or onto a branchV line, said w eel bearing rails including a pair of converging rails insulated from the other rails, and a stationary electrically continuous power supply rail extending through the main line and branch line and independent of the wheel' bearing rails.

Si ed at New York, in the county of `New ork and State of New York, January,

`JOSHUA L. COWEN. 

